I bought win 8 pro for my computer and home. How does licensing work with that. Can I also install that license on my work computer like I could with windows xp through 7 or do I need a separate license??? I just know the now register it to a email don't they??? I'm confused and trying to figure this out.

AFAIK doing that was never truly "kosher" even with XP/7, regardless of whether the activation system allowed it to go through or not. You were allowed to *move* a retail license, but you were not supposed to install it on multiple systems.

I have no idea what they're doing with 8.

The years just pass like trains. I wave, but they don't slow down.-- Steven Wilson

kamikaziechameleon wrote:I bought win 8 pro for my computer and home. How does licensing work with that. Can I also install that license on my work computer like I could with windows xp through 7 or do I need a separate license??? I just know the now register it to a email don't they??? I'm confused and trying to figure this out.

Thanks in advanced.

JBI has it right. The licensing for Retail allows for a copy the can move systems.The licensing for OEM allows you to upgrade the same machine (gray area about how many upgrades allowed but I've completely replaced guts over many generations of CPUs and no issues)

Licensing for MS Office is different, from a corporate viewpoint it allows everyone licensed to run on a corporate machine and a home machine which is where the confusion may have come from.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:I bought win 8 pro for my computer and home. How does licensing work with that. Can I also install that license on my work computer like I could with windows xp through 7 or do I need a separate license??? I just know the now register it to a email don't they??? I'm confused and trying to figure this out.

Thanks in advanced.

You were never automatically allowed to install XP through 7 onto multiple machines; it depends on your licence agreement, which will depend on how you bought your copy of Windows.

Open a command prompt and type "winver" and a box will pop up showing you the version of your OS. Click the link for the license terms and there will be a part that tells you how many machines you can install it on, etc.

So me asking if I can install it on multiple machines vs if I should is beyond the scope of the forums here isn't it??? Sorry guys.

I've always had multiple machines and always used one license across them all, same for office. I know it was probably not in the terms but I could do it no problem. I didn't know if Win8 worked in a similar fashion or if the DRM had changed. I purchase one license for my personal use and never considered it an issue across multiple machines and I talked to Microsoft reps on the phone each subsequent install and explained and they would allow it and validate the install. Maybe I'm lucky. At any rate the price per install would be Ridiculous and I'm inclined to dis-invest from Microsoft's services if that is the way it has to be. I believe in staying current and that cost is simply too much.

MS Office Student/Teacher edition used to explicitly allow installation on up to 3 systems, with some leeway for re-activation depending on how long it had been since the previous activations. XP retail (I assume Vista/7 as well?) also had an activation clock that would eventually reset after a period of months and allow you to activate again without a phone call. OEM Windows licenses from XP forward have always tied the serial to the hardware it was initially activated on (in a legal sense); but the automatic activation system has enforced this with varying degrees of rigorousness over the years.

(Just listing some reasons why you may have not had a problem in the past, even if it may have technically been a EULA violation...)

The years just pass like trains. I wave, but they don't slow down.-- Steven Wilson

Home editions allowed 3 activations in office 2007 and 2010. However with the advent of 2013, it's office 365 (100 dollars a year, you can sometimes get a deal) or a single user licenses for home users. (this nonsense and not being able to transfer it caused me to buy office 2010, till I wait for the next version's of free alternatives to get better).

Depending on the business edition it was allowed on two pc's. With office 2013 for it's a very different beast, all licenses are for only one pc and non transferrable (this probably needs to be put to the test in court) or office 365 (SB Edition) for 150 dollar per user per year.

That's what I've seen so far anyways.

So it might work or it might prompt you to buy another key. I'm not going to try it.

Where did you get that "license" of yours back in the days where you can install "everywhere"? You may have received a volume license key that belongs to some organizations (school, place of work, etc.). I believe for Win7 VL key only works on the Enterprise SKU. So that's that part I am not sure about the OP's situation.

Arvald wrote:Licensing for MS Office is different, from a corporate viewpoint it allows everyone licensed to run on a corporate machine and a home machine which is where the confusion may have come from.

Office Professional is one desktop and one "mobile" device (pretty much means laptop). Office Professional Plus (? pretty much the enterprise version) I don't think it has this home component. I don't think it is that different there. Home and Student though, as mentioned in various replies here, is 3 activations.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:So me asking if I can install it on multiple machines vs if I should is beyond the scope of the forums here isn't it??? Sorry guys.

For Windows, it almost always has been that unless you have a VL key, any other key is bound to one computer, both physical or virtual. The recent exception has been the Family Pack thing that they did last year.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:I've always had multiple machines and always used one license across them all, same for office. I know it was probably not in the terms but I could do it no problem. I didn't know if Win8 worked in a similar fashion or if the DRM had changed. I purchase one license for my personal use and never considered it an issue across multiple machines and I talked to Microsoft reps on the phone each subsequent install and explained and they would allow it and validate the install. Maybe I'm lucky. At any rate the price per install would be Ridiculous and I'm inclined to dis-invest from Microsoft's services if that is the way it has to be. I believe in staying current and that cost is simply too much.

Did they give you a new key after you talk to them each time on the phone? Does the original machine still work after talking to them, whether you have a new key or not? There may be some activation counter linked to each key that they may be able to change from their end. This pretty much means you have always been not knowing about the true cost of the OS licenses. You have to get VL discounts or OEM prices (in case you are a system builder, or just buy from Dell/HP/Lenovo/etc.) to get those "dirt cheap" prices.

Haven't you heard about the "Microsoft tax" that people have been bitching about for years? This is nothing new.

The Model M is not for the faint of heart. You either like them or hate them.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:So me asking if I can install it on multiple machines vs if I should is beyond the scope of the forums here isn't it??? Sorry guys.

It's not that it's beyond the scope of the forums here; you're getting the answer. And the answer is "It depends on your license."

If your license is for one machine, then it's one machine. If your license is for two, then it's two. The only way to know for sure is to look at your license agreement. I gave you the steps to read it.

I've always had multiple machines and always used one license across them all, same for office. I know it was probably not in the terms but I could do it no problem.

So your real question is: How do I break my license agreement? I suspect that the mods here might deem that beyond the scope of the forums

Arvald wrote:Licensing for MS Office is different, from a corporate viewpoint it allows everyone licensed to run on a corporate machine and a home machine which is where the confusion may have come from.

Office Professional is one desktop and one "mobile" device (pretty much means laptop). Office Professional Plus (? pretty much the enterprise version) I don't think it has this home component. I don't think it is that different there. Home and Student though, as mentioned in various replies here, is 3 activations.

Corporate deals are far different from Home deals for sure.MS offered a deal for the 1 PC and 1 mobile and then offered the users of said machines a super cheap deal ($11 from them) for home use that we in IT have to manage license counts for. I have Professional Plus on this deal at home and just got the info about upgrading to 2013 (which is not 365)Over the years the deal has changed depending on your companies volume licensing deal.Note - I am in IT in the group that deals with this so I know mostly about what I am talking about.

I'd use standard retail license copies of the Microsoft OS or Office. If the install wouldn't register I'd call the service number presented on the screen. Talk to the MS rep and they would validate each install after the first. Additionally there is a timer as described by another poster that allows one to install and validate w/o a call after x number of months. Each subsequent Validation did not in any way effect a prior validated install using the same key. I would typically put each license on atleast 2 computers w/o any issue. Essentially what I was asking is if I could still do this with Win8 and Office 2013 I had not considered EULA as I typically feel like I'm always at odds with the EULA no matter what I do so I typically ignore it. I know now that no one but me apparently was doing anything of the sort.

I did not realize until this thread that there was any EULA conflict as I have made the active habit of ignoring them, I mean who reads them anyways, honestly?

I've never pirated, or cracked an OS. I've always payed real money for all my software. (except BluRay playback updates, but that is another story.)

Arvald wrote:Most of these are not even EULA issues. On the outside of the package it says stuff like "license for one computer".

Most software is licensed as single user yet comes with the ability to install on multiple systems. It's an ambiguous area. But I bought some of my retail licenses through MS as either digital downloads with no box, or they would mail me a disk in a paper envelope. There was nothing on any box in those instances.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:I've never pirated, or cracked an OS. I've always payed real money for all my software. (except BluRay playback updates, but that is another story.)

Technically (in the eyes of MS), re-activating a retail copy on another system without wiping it from the previous one, or re-activating an OEM copy on different hardware (regardless of whether the previous install is wiped) *is* piracy. It's just that historically, the enforcement of the EULAs (via the activation mechanism and "Genuine Windows" checks) has been very lax; they're more interested in shutting down corporate volume license keys that get leaked online and other forms of large-scale piracy.

Arvald wrote:Most of these are not even EULA issues. On the outside of the package it says stuff like "license for one computer".

Well that's just a one-line summary of the EULA, isn't it?

The years just pass like trains. I wave, but they don't slow down.-- Steven Wilson

Arvald wrote:Most of these are not even EULA issues. On the outside of the package it says stuff like "license for one computer".

Well that's just a one-line summary of the EULA, isn't it?

Most EULAs also include statements about software provided "as is", so that if the software really does cause your house to burn down, they are in the clear. It is another topic though.

As for the OP, if you have been having luck in multiple activations of those retail, presumably single instance, keys, why not just try with Win8? They may have upgraded their activation check, but they may not. If you are buying retail, you can move the OS to the 2nd computer and retire the old one. So the worst case is you are out 1 computer. As JBI said historically the enforcement of EULAs is lax. The only significant development in the area was introduced with activations since Windows/Office XP.

The Model M is not for the faint of heart. You either like them or hate them.

Arvald wrote:Most of these are not even EULA issues. On the outside of the package it says stuff like "license for one computer".

Well that's just a one-line summary of the EULA, isn't it?

Most EULAs also include statements about software provided "as is", so that if the software really does cause your house to burn down, they are in the clear. It is another topic though.

As for the OP, if you have been having luck in multiple activations of those retail, presumably single instance, keys, why not just try with Win8? They may have upgraded their activation check, but they may not. If you are buying retail, you can move the OS to the 2nd computer and retire the old one. So the worst case is you are out 1 computer. As JBI said historically the enforcement of EULAs is lax. The only significant development in the area was introduced with activations since Windows/Office XP.

This is a great change! However, it states that this applies to OEM copies bought separately from a machine. Therefore, you cannot transfer an OEM license that came with a pre-built machine. That's an important difference for anybody running across this thread.

"I take sibling rivalry to the whole next level, if it doesn't require minor sugery or atleast a trip to the ER, you don't love her." - pete_roth
"Yeah, I see why you'd want a good gas whacker then." - VRock

dextrous wrote:This is a great change! However, it states that this applies to OEM copies bought separately from a machine. Therefore, you cannot transfer an OEM license that came with a pre-built machine. That's an important difference for anybody running across this thread.

I can understand why they would make that distinction. OEM copies on pre-built machines were likely obtained at a hefty volume discount by the PC vendor; MS does not want those deeply discounted licenses "leaking" off of the machines they were re-sold with. Still, it seems somewhat petty on MS's part; the end user did pay for that license, albeit indirectly.

The years just pass like trains. I wave, but they don't slow down.-- Steven Wilson

kamikaziechameleon wrote:...I did not realize until this thread that there was any EULA conflict as I have made the active habit of ignoring them...

This is like ignoring income tax or traffic laws...

...I mean who reads them anyways, honestly?

Honestly, I do. Lots of people do, and so should you. How else do you think you'll learn what your rights are?

EULAs can be wildly different from industry to industry and vendor to vendor.

I have at least three products that explicitly say in the EULA that I can run them on any computer, but I (me, myself) am the only person who is allowed to use them. Nobody else is allowed to use them even if they're on my computer. Not even if they are a family member! In other words, adding people means paying more money.

In my case, I judged this to be an accepable limitation of the license. But you may not. You can only make that judgement if you read the damned EULA!

In this connected world, it is becoming easier and easier for vendors to figure out who's breaking the EULA.

Everybody should always read the EULA for the software we use. Or at least skim it, looking for anything that you might consider a non-starter/deal-killer.

Software licensing seems to be splitting into three major divergent models:

1. Software that you buy once, and that is under per-user or per-system EULA (and which may be enforced via some form of DRM like activation).

2. Subscription based, where there's a recurring fee and some form of DRM to shut the software off if you don't pay. As we all know, MS has been moving towards this model for MS Office; it has already seen widespread use for things like EDA tools (e.g. FPGA design).

3. Open Source.

#1 used to be dominant; #2 and #3 have gained traction. The three models will probably co-exist for the foreseeable future.

The years just pass like trains. I wave, but they don't slow down.-- Steven Wilson

What about free but closed, like Android. The android OS is free w/ unlimited installs on whatever machine because the controlled closed platform makes money of digital sales of software through their play service. Microsoft is moving in that direction with their OS and the sooner they get there the more concrete their monopoly will be once again. They will end up controlling not only the OS but also the channel through which most consumer will get their media and added software.

just brew it! wrote:Software licensing seems to be splitting into three major divergent models:

1. Software that you buy once, and that is under per-user or per-system EULA (and which may be enforced via some form of DRM like activation).

2. Subscription based, where there's a recurring fee and some form of DRM to shut the software off if you don't pay. As we all know, MS has been moving towards this model for MS Office; it has already seen widespread use for things like EDA tools (e.g. FPGA design).

3. Open Source.

#1 used to be dominant; #2 and #3 have gained traction. The three models will probably co-exist for the foreseeable future.

This is a great change! However, it states that this applies to OEM copies bought separately from a machine. Therefore, you cannot transfer an OEM license that came with a pre-built machine. That's an important difference for anybody running across this thread.

In the USA.In Canada we are able to buy the OEM copy for a newly built machine that you are building yourself.Stuff like this works differently in each country depending on the local laws.

kamikaziechameleon wrote:What about free but closed, like Android. The android OS is free w/ unlimited installs on whatever machine because the controlled closed platform makes money of digital sales of software through their play service. Microsoft is moving in that direction with their OS and the sooner they get there the more concrete their monopoly will be once again. They will end up controlling not only the OS but also the channel through which most consumer will get their media and added software.

Actually the one pioneering the "walled garden", dominating, and making the most money out of it, is Apple. Microsoft is just trying to imitate. For Android, the "platform" is not really closed per se. It is if you want the Google experience then you will need to be using Google apps and 3rd party apps through the Play store. You can use a different app store altogether (with the associated risks). The base OS is indeed free, minus proprietary drivers and "customizations".

Arvald wrote:

dextrous wrote:

Ryu Connor wrote:The Windows 8 OEM license is now transferable to a different PC.

This is a great change! However, it states that this applies to OEM copies bought separately from a machine. Therefore, you cannot transfer an OEM license that came with a pre-built machine. That's an important difference for anybody running across this thread.

In the USA.In Canada we are able to buy the OEM copy for a newly built machine that you are building yourself.Stuff like this works differently in each country depending on the local laws.

I think in Canada the old OEM/System Builder licence is also bound to the machine. This "newly built machine" usually means some form of hardware. Newegg is famous for including a molex power cable to satisfy that requirement.

The Model M is not for the faint of heart. You either like them or hate them.

I know apple started it but the fact that software and hardware is one sorta made it not applicable to our conversation. That is why I omitted it.

Another Curiosity, whatever happened to moblin? Why did google never better develop their pc Client??? Heck why not make a PC OS that is more than chrome OS??? With Microsoft making such bold plays to basically go head to head with android in mobile and OSX/itunes on desktop it would appear no one not even valve is ready for what is happening. Given that Valve is making a huge push for Linux, resolving every 16 year old's greatest gripe with the OS, how will that figure into things??? There is literally so much happening right now all at once on desktop, mobile, across all OS's and many distribution services its a difficult time to be a consumer. Not necessarily because the choices are too many but rather the constant change in landscape makes it scary to invest in any one OS, System, or Platform.

I have an iPad, HTC Sensation 4G android phone, Win 8 home PC and a xp work computer from 10 years ago. I'd love to unify my user experience if only for continuity but really you can't do that right now and expect any measure of assurable quality. There are apps that I love that simply aren't featured of supported across all platforms. Google Drive is not well supported on windows RT, Outlook has no first party support on Android or iOS. the list of issues goes on and on. I'm married to my applications more than my OS but the lack of native support for many different versions of different OS's is outright confusing at times.

If you buy a Windows 8 OEM box (Dell, HP etc) unlike with Win7 it won’t come with a COA sticker with a license number printed on it, instead it has a small plain Win8 sticker.You may well be able to grab the serial number using an appropriate utility but not sure if you can still use that to activate a PC.A friend had an Acer box and needed to reinstall the O/S but couldn’t find her XP disc. I couldn’t find an Acer XP image to download so I downloaded a vanilla OEM XP image and activated it using the serial number on the COA sticker.